Our Mission Statement and Doctrine

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

Called to a deeper relationship of love and service to God, we are members of the Dominican Order who commit to live the Dominican charism. In collaboration with the Unified Old Catholic Church, and the Independent Catholic Movement, we work to promote social justice and peace in society, to foster religious vocations, and to maintain the apostolate of preaching and teaching salvation and the Catholic Faith. Supported by The Four Pillars of the Dominican Charism, those of prayer, study, community and ministry, we endeavor to fulfill our vocation to proclaim the Gospel wherever we, as individuals, live and work, and to continually strive to further our own personal relationship with Our Lord.

OUR DOCTRINE

We believe in one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (2 Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 28:19)

We believe that Jesus Christ the Son of God is both God (John 1:1) and man (Hebrews 2:14), having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:34, 35). He died on the cross, a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3; 20:24–29), and ascended into heaven (Acts 1:1–9), where he is at the right hand of the Majesty on High (Colossians 3:1). He now is our High Priest and Advocate (Hebrews 7:25, 26; 1 John 2:1; Philippians 2:5–7).

We believe that the Holy Spirit is God, with a mission to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:14) and during this age to convict men (John 16:8), regenerate the believing sinner (John 3:5–8), indwell (1 Corinthians 12: 13), guide, instruct (John 14:26), and empower the believer for godly living and service (Ephesians 5:18–21).

We believe the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God, to contain and reveal all things necessary for salvation, and to be the divine authority for all Christian faith and life. (2 Timothy 3:16–17; John 14:26; 16:12–15)

We believe that man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).

We believe that Water Baptism and the Eucharist are the great sacraments instituted directly by Christ to be observed by the church (Matthew 28:19–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26). We believe that the sacraments of Holy Orders (Acts 6:3; Titus 1:5), Marriage (Genesis 2:24), Reconciliation (James 5:16), Anointing or Unction (James 5:14), and Confirmation (Acts 9:17) are sacraments formed by tradition as sacred outgrowths of scriptural practices. Sacraments are tools to aid in our salvation.

We believe that salvation is a free gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9) to all who seek Him. (Matthew 11:28).

Beyond these basics, however, we leave it to each individual to work out the details of his or her faith in accordance with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures, Tradition, Reason and Experience. We do not feel it is healthy or wise to try to compel each individual to believe exactly alike. We respect all Christians and treat them like adults who have both the responsibility and capacity to discern God’s will.

(Adapted from the orginal by The Rt. Reverend David Strong. Used by permission.)

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3 comments

Love your beyond the basics paragraph. I think it reflects a very mature spirit in keeping with God’s leadership. I wish this philosophy would percolate down through the Catholic Church. I don’t think God ever meant his church to be the great controller, especially when he himself is the great allower.